Ninjas and a Necklace
by She-Poe
Summary: Katara's necklace is stolen, and now the walls she built up against Zuko are crumbling down. Zutara. Ninja outfits. Near kisses. A lot of tension. *Working on new chapters*
1. Before Hand

**The Necklace**

_**Before Hand**_

Wind rippled the flying bison's fur as he flew over the sharp, rocky mountain peaks. Sokka held the leather reigns tightly in his hands and lead Appa while Katara, Zuko, Aang, and Toph rode in the saddle and chatted. Though it was late, and Sokka always slept, tonight he couldn't. Too much was on his mind. The moon was waning, and only a tiny, silver sliver remained in the sky. Soon, there would be no moon at all, Katara would be at her weakest and Yue wouldn't be only a glance away. New Moon.

Katara could feel it too. Her bending had been wearing away, and she felt powerless. It was hard for her to bend the water out of plants and clouds. She couldn't stand it, feeling useless. Her motherly disposition was also becoming thin and an angry feeling began seeping into her brain. She sat silent in the saddle, listening to the others talk. Suddenly, she smelled the rain. "Sokka," she said. "We need to find shelter. Its going to rain." Her brother shot her a look of ' Are you crazy? The weather is perfect!' Katara pursed her lips. "Fine- don't believe me." In that second, lightening crackled and rain started to fall in heavy, fat drops.

Sokka cringed. "You know, it never fails," he said half to himself and half to everyone else. He steered Appa into a cave. As he helped Zuko unload everyone's belongings, he grumbled to himself. He unrolled his bed roll and placed it so that it completed the circle around the fire pit. Everyone quickly snuggled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep. Everyone, but Sokka. He sat on his bedroll wide awake looking at the moon through the hazy, rain drenched opening of the cave. Slowly, the midnight sky faded to light purple then to a misty blue. 'No Moon tonight.' He thought and rolled over, closing his eyes.

"Sokka wake up!" Toph yelled. "Come on you lazy snail-sloth, you gotta go hunt or something... Katara's orders." Sokka pulled a pillow over his head, trying to ignore the earthender. But, poor Sokka forgot that Toph wouldn't easily give up. She spit in her palms and stomped a foot on the cave floor, earthbending a small wave of rock under Sokka, throwing him several feet in the air. He yelped like a hurt puppy and sleepily stood up with bags under his blue eyes. "Listen, I gotta teach Baldy some earthbending, and Hothead over there has to go sulk."

Zuko stood up quickly and shrieked, "Hey!"

Toph shrugged. "Sorry Hothead, I speak the truth!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Katara knelt by a berry bush, collecting big red grapes and putting them into a big wicker basket. She looked over at Zuko who knelt beside her helping to fill the basket. "For some reason," she started. "I don't want to hit you." Zuko looked over at her confused.

"Uh, thank you?" He guessed, returning to the berry bush. Then there was a silent moment between the two and only the rustling of the leaves as they picked the grapes was heard. "Your mother," Zuko started awkwardly. "Must have been a very brave woman."

Katara shot a look at him that could kill. "Is that the only thing you can talk to me about?" She stood up angrily and, holding the basket on her hip, said, "Because every time we talk, its about your mother or mine. I'm sorry, but I can't talk about her right now." She walked back towards the cave, leaving a confused, worried Zuko in her wake. He let Katara have a few minutes, and gave himself some time to cool down, as well. What she said reminded him of how he snapped at Uncle on the anniversary of his banishment. '_That must be it_,' he thought. _'Katara is usually very strong, but with the moon going and it being the anniversary of her mother's death-'_

His train of though was interrupted by a high pitched scream. _Katara!_

Aang and Toph were the first back at the cave after Katara screamed. The wicker basket had dropped to the floor, spilling their food across the opening of the cave. "What happened?" Aang asked.

Toph folded her arms. "Isn't it obvious, Baldy. We've been robbed!"

Just then, Sokka and Zuko arrived in the entrance to the cave. "Oh man." Sokka observed. Then he smiled. "At least I still have my boomerang!" He pulled the blue weapon out of a sling on his back and hugged it, like only Sokka would.

Zuko saw Katara's eyes open wide in fright as she ran over to the small wooden jewelry box on top of her folded sleeping bag. She hastily opened it and peered in. "No-" She said gravely. "Its- gone-" a silver tear slid down her cheek. Aang, Sokka, and Toph walked over to comfort her. But Zuko couldn't make himself move. He'd Talk to her later. From one motherless teenager to another.


	2. Fireside

**The Necklace**

**ONE**

Katara sat apart from the group, kneeling by the crackling fire. Her heart felt like a cold stone in her chest, refusing to soak up the warmth and love that surrounded her. Zuko looked at her from the corner of his good eye. '_I'd better go talk to her_,' he thought silently. Toph laughed, amused. "No dip, Professor Obvious!" She giggled. '_Are you a mind reader or something?_' Zuko tested. "Nope! I just know people! Go Prof. Obvious, go!" Toph grinned, her blind eyes filled with enjoyment.

Zuko quickly turned to Sokka. "Would you mind if I talked to your sister for a minute?" Sokka nodded, giving the prince permission to talk to the peasant. Zuko sat down by Katara in front of the fire. "Today's the day, wasn't it?" He asked gently. Katara turned her head slightly away from him. "Years ago today is when it happened. Its been hard. And today is probably the worst."

"The last thing that I had of her was stolen. I feel empty. I mean, there's no moon tonight. I can't bend. I can't be close to my mother. I, I need some time to think." She put her hand up to her bare neck, giving herself a painful reminder that it was gone. She turned to Zuko, not removing the hand from her neck. "See. It should be there. But its not. People expect me to have it. _She_ expected me to have it. I don't. And its unfair."

The fire cast Zuko's face in a soft glow, shadowing his scar under his black hair; canvasing his imperfection. Weather he felt as empathetic as he looked, Katara didn't know. But she did have to admit, he didn't look bad, on his good side, that is. Katara leaned closer to the fire, warming her hands against the flames. "Its not cold," Zuko stated plainly.

"I'm cold. I feel bad for that sick man who robbed us. He's even colder. His heart must be pure ice-if he has a heart at all, that is," Katara looked across to the firebender whose face was still half bathed in the soft glow and half hidden under shadows. In that second, when she looked into his golden eyes, she heard his heart beat. It sounded, _human_. Wait, Zuko had a _heart_. She suddenly realized that she had been staring at him for the better part of a whole minute, but more importantly, he had been staring back. Katara tore her eyes away and shifted awkwardly on her heels, a hint of pink on her cheeks.

Zuko's thoughts had come to a complete stop when he had looked into the waterbender's blue eyes. Now, they whirled in his head. He couldn't explain how he felt... almost empathetic, but there was something else. A burning desire to stop all of her hurt feelings and make her smile. Ever since she had simply said that she didn't want to hit him, he felt like the wall between them was crumbling; so that now, he could almost see tho top of her head above the rubble. She was _right there_. In that subtle moment they shared, it was like he saw into her heart. He actually saw how important that small token was to her. Right then he made a promise to himself. He'd get it back. No matter what.

One by one, the rest of the gang came to sit by the fire. Toph leaned back on her elbows putting her feet up close to the fire. After a moment of listening closely and feeling everyone's vibrations, she punched Zuko in the arm. "Good job Professor!" She cried dramatically, then turned to Aang. "So Baldy, hows it goin'? Wait don't tell me: 'the world needs me! Saving the world! WOOSH!'" She laughed. "Am I right?"

"Sure Toph," he said distractedly. "Whatever you say."

Katara quickly looked at Zuko, whom looked straight back at her. They both had the same expression on their faces; '_Do you see it too_?' '_Yup_.' Toph had a thing for a certain Avatar. Who could it be? Eventually, the younger kids settled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep. The older children stayed awake, watching. Katara felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. The moon was nowhere in sight. To Zuko, she looked pale in the firelight.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly, trying not to wake up Toph or Aang.

"No-" Katara whispered. "I've never felt this way. Even during the new moon." She put her hand on her head and slumped onto Zuko's shoulder. Within seconds she was apologizing for leaning on him. "I'm sorry, its just my head and everything thats gone on today. I'm exhausted."

"Its fine," he assured her. "Lay down. And don't worry. The next time you see me, everything will be right. I promise."

_______________________________________________________________________________

**Well, finally!**

**Sorry it took long. I had school, well I had it today too, but I had my braces tightened... (They are red and blue!) OUCH! **

**I also decided to throw in a bit of Taang (or Tophaang) or what ever you call it... you know what I mean!**


	3. Things We Don't Want to Say

Two

The rough walls of the cave were shadowed by the flickering fire. Zuko picked up a pebble from the floor and tossed it half-heartedly into the fire. He had tried, already, to sleep-and failed. Now his eyes wandered over the sleeping bodies around him; lingering on the girl who laid next to him. The fire shined off of her eyelashes and made her sleeping face look almost angelic. Something within Zuko turned over. Why did he want to help her? Why should he? _Because, _he explained to himself, _its the right thing to do. And you know what its like to lose someone you love. And, not to mention the fact that she is the nicest girl you have ever met, and she doesn't deserve to be sad like this. Just look at her. Does she look like she has done anything to make a man come and steal her most prized possession? _His golden eyes did just that: looked at her. There was a bruise on her left cheek, probably from a piece of falling plaster. Her hair was draped over her shoulder and down her back. The blue fabric of her dress was torn and tattered. A spot of blood stained the white neckline of her tunic. She was a princess. But, he never would have guessed. Gently, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear; leaned into her and whispered, "I promise."

*******

Zuko was invisable; his dark hair and clothes blended in with the black sky. Stealthily, he crept along the wall of the cave, being very careful not to make a sound. Like a spider, he clung to the ledge and crawled up the side of the precipice. His hands grasped vines and deep-set rocks to steady himself. The night was silent; more so than he had ever experienced. Most nights, he would not have hesitated to light a flame between his hands as a lantern, but tonight he couldn't afford the gang of plunderers to see any sign of him. From this position, he could see everything for miles. There was a very dull glow very far off to the east. Biting his lip in frustration, Zuko growled. He had no way of knowing if the tiny glow was the men who stole from them or a group of teenagers,like themselves, out camping.

In the silence there was a stirring sound from the cave. The misty glow of their fire was blocked by a body of someone. Zuko watched as the shadow moved around the cave quickly, panicked perhaps. A head poked out from the cave. In a whisper, a raspy, tired, worried voice called his name. "Zuko!" He heard. Katara emerged frantically, a blanket draped over her shoulders. "Zuko! Where are you?" Never in his life had Zuko ran from a girl. And yet, now he was backing away from the edge of the incline where he stood and quickly climbed into the low limbs of a near-by cherry tree. No sooner had he pulled his legs into the tree, did Katara's hands appear grasping the grass and pulling herself up onto the flat ground. After moments of careful consideration of her surroundings, the girl- who looked very small now-fell onto the ground. Zuko saw her shoulders jerk, and heard quiet sobs fall from her lips. "No!" She cried quietly into her palms. "Not again! Why do I keep losing people I-" Absent mindedly, Zuko shifted his position in the tree, rustling the leaves loudly. Katara's head turned sharply to him. "Who's there?" a voice that seemed bigger than that of the girl who had just been crying. "I said; Who is there?" Straightening his back, the prince remained silent. "I know someone is there, and you do NOT want to mess with me right now, so just..."

"Its me," Zuko slid out of the tree, hands held low and away from his body.

"What were you doing?" Her arms were folded shakily across her chest with the corners of the maroon blanket tucked into her elbows. Upon her face was something in the semblance of a smile.

"Trying to find out which way those theives went."

"Why?" Taking a step closer, she let her arms fall to her sides. The blanket slid from her shoulders and landed heavily around her feet.

"I told you," Zuko replied, kneeling down and handing the course piece of fabric back to Katara. She muttered a quiet thanks, then Zuko continued. "I'm going to make things right." He felt her hand under the blanket recoil into a fist. The dark still shrouded her face, but he knew-something in the way her body twitched had told him- that something had stabbed her painfully. Suddenly, through the blanket, she grasped his wrist tightly. Golden eyes shot to blue ones; neither seeing the other.

"No," her voice came in a low hiss.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, he felt her shake. "Why?"

"Don't." Her fingernails dug through the fabric and into the boy's wrist.

"Don't what?" Truely clueless, Zuko rubbed his hand up and down Katara's arm, trying to both comfort her and get her to talk to him.

"Don't make me say that I don't want anything to happen to you!"

Both of thier hearts stopped. Katara's in shock at what she had just uttered. Zuko's in astonishment. "What?" Through the blackness he stared at her. His hand was still on her arm, but he didn't take it away.

"I'm not worth your life." She broke the blind contact that their eyes had held for quite some time now. "I'm just not worth it."

With wide eyes, Zuko moved only and inch closer to her. "Who told you that?" The girl shook her head. Wanting to know who had told her such a lie, the fire prince placed his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look at him. "Who said you are not worth it?"

"No one..." Her face felt hot under his hands. For a moment, she almost let herself fall into him and wrap her arms around him. Through the dark, she felt his grip on her face soften-though it hadn't been tight to begin with. "I don't believe that." He whispered. In that instant, a want... a need to see her face bubbled with in him. Carefully, he lit a tiny flame and held it between their faces. Finally, a real smile broke over her lips. A cold hand went up to her face and tried to brush away the tears.

"We should probably get back inside before anyone misses us," Katara joked. She and Zuko began climbing back down into the cave. the fire they had started still flickered brightly. Everyone seemed to be fast asleep. Katara's eyes wouldn't leave Zuko. She watched his hands as he spread out his sleeping bag. She watched the way his hair brushed over his good cheek when he bent over the fire. The gold in his eyes shimmered when the fire reflected off of them. "Oh, Zuko," she started quietly. His eyes flicked to her . "If you ever touch me again, you will die." They both smiled quietly.

"Hey, come here." Zuko jerked his head toward the back of the cave. With a raised eye brow, Katara crawled over to him cautiously. She settled down beside him, sitting on her knees. Zuko reached around the back of his neck and pulled a long piece of string from around his neck. Holding it up to the fire in front of Katara's face, he explained; "When I was eight, my mother left. I assume you knew that." Shamefully, she shook her head. "Well, now you do. As I was saying, she left a long time ago, and this ring was hers. The last time I saw her, she must have put this around my neck. I've never taken it off." He took her hand in his and closed it around the ring. Zuko saw the girls face change. "I want you to take it. I'll get it back when you get yours back."

"I can't," Katara stuttered. "I- just can't take this from you."

"Please. Take it." His eyes were pleading. They begged her. Quietly, she bowed her head, letting Zuko place the twine around her neck. She lifted her head. They stared into each others eyes for what seemed to be a long time. Katara felt her breath quicken as she wrapped her arms around him. Two tiny tears fell from her eyes onto his shoulder. "Thank you," she breathed into his neck. He held her tighter. How could she be so different now than she was all of a day ago? This was a side of Katara the he had seen only once before; back in Ba Sing Se. He hadn't known exactly how to react to her sudden embrace. Pulling away from him, she added, "If you even mention that to Sokka or Aang or Toph..."

"I won't. I promise."

"Good."

They both settled down into their sleeping bags but neither could sleep. Turning over, Katara cleared her throat. "Zuko," she started. His head turned to her. "I hate you."

"I hate you too."

Then they both fell into a calm comfortable sleep.

Or at least they pretended to be...

* * *

**To be continued...**

So, what did you guys think? Not what you expected? Exactly what you expected? Really good? Really bad? Let me know.


	4. Songs From Home

_**Chapter Three**_

_Songs from Home_

Katara fingered the twine around her neck nervously. "Hey," Zuko said quietly, his face shadowed by the early morning light. "Calm down. We'll find your necklace. I promise." He sat next to her, his eyes drifting over the sleeping bodies lying in a circle around a fireless hearth. "Why are you up so early?"

"Nerves. What's your excuse?" She looked at him carefully, feeling strangely comfortable. Normally, she would have taken great measures to stay away from him, blaming it on chores or just ignoring him all together. Honestly, now she was grateful for Zuko's company. A rare smile broke over his lips, and Katara found herself smiling back.

"Habit. Being a Firebender. I can blame it on a lot of things. But in truth, I was worried about you." He wouldn't tell her that he hadn't slept last night. He wasn't going to tell her that he had spent the night watching her sleep. It was obvious that she was a little embarrassed; pink stained her cheeks slightly and she looked down and away from him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Feeling almost remorseful he mentally hit his forehead. _Stupid! You just said you had a lot of things to blame it on! Idiot! _

Quickly, Katara glanced at him and sighed. "No, no you didn't. No one really pays that much attention to me. Well, Aang does. But he's just clingy. He never knows when something's wrong. He lives in a world where nothing bad could ever happen to me. Ha!" She laughed. "He almost cried when I yelled at him about that waterbending scroll." His eyes met hers for a breif second, both of them remembering that moment when he had held her wrists tightly.

"I'll save you from the pirates," Zuko whispered, a smirk playing on his lips.

Katara scooted closer to him. "That all seems so long ago. You've changed a lot since then. But you're still looking out for me. Just like a guardian angel." She pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding her face from him_. That was extremely stupid. Like, excessively moronic! _

Seeing her stress, Zuko changed the subject. "When I was younger, my mother used to sing me a song called guardian angel." He sighed deeply before singing under his breath; "_I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you_..." Carefully, he continued. "_Even if saving you sends me to heaven." _He waited for her to say or do something. Slowly, she peeked over her arms, her face pink.

"Please. Just stop," Katara begged quietly. "I told you I don't want... I don't want to lose anybody else that I care about."

"But it's true. I would do anything to keep you safe." After a moment he added; "The same goes for Aang and Toph- I think Sokka can handle himself." Katara smiled. Then something hit her.

"You know, you've done so much for me and I don't even know how old you are."

"I'm sixteen."

"Oh." She sighed heavily. "Have you ever wondered why we don't live like they do in the storybooks? I mean, you're a prince, I'm a princess. Shouldn't we sitting on thrones and having parties every other weekend?"

"Its really all my great grandfather's fault that we don't live like that. I wish just as much as you do that we did. Maybe we could have even..."

"What?"

"Maybe we could have been friends." Zuko finished extemporaneously. He glanced at her quickly, careful not to let his eyes linger too long. Katara reached her hand toward him shakily, then drew it back. She didn't want to offend him by reminding him of his scar. The little light that was shining through the mouth of the cave caught his good eye quickly. He looked at her again, this time meeting her eyes and holding the gaze. "It's alright." Zuko's voice came a little softer than he had intended. His eyes closed as Katara rested her fingertips on his scar. Her fingers were cool and soothing against his skin.

"Zuko?" Katara asked, her vision blurring slightly. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't cry," Zuko said quickly, opening his eyes sharply. "It isn't your pain to cry for."

"You have nothing at all, and yet, you give me the most important thing you own. Why?" Her hand still resting lighly on his face, she looked between his eyes and his hands, which were in tight fists on his lap. Usually Zuko plus fists equaled firebent stress. His hands told a lot about him; they were strong, but could be gentle. One could read his feelings by looking at his hands. If he was tense, like he was now, they would be in fists. If he was happy, they would be relaxed at his sides. If he was frustrated, they would open and closed quickly. His eyes, too, told a story. They seemed to be forever searching for something. There was a hidden pain behind his eyes which Katara wanted to put to an end so desprately.

"I have much more than you think, Katara." Zuko let his eyes look over the waterbender in front of him. She was within an arm's length, and yet, Zuko couldn't move his hands to touch her. It took every ounce of courage he had in him to brush the tips of his fingers over her jaw. Her eyes closed tightly and she let out a sharp sigh at his touch. He took his hand away quickly, not sure if he had done something inappropriate or not. *_OMG ITS 11:11! Make a wish!*_

"_Clever trick..." _Katara felt his confusion momentarily. Quietly, as not to wake the others, she answered the unspoken question; "It was a song we girls sang when we were working and the men left to go to war. _Your fingertips across my skin, the palm trees swaying in the wind, images; you sang me Spanish lullabies, the sweetest sadness in your eyes, clever trick, I never wanna see you unhappy, I thought you'd want the same for me, good bye my almost lover; goodbye my hopeless dream..." _Her eyes opened unenthusiastically. She smiled shyly, her hand dropping away from his face. "We had to keep our spirits up somehow. We were all hoping for our prince to come along and-" She could tell by the smirk on his lips that he had taken her last statement the wrong way. "I didn't mean anything by that... and you know it, too."

Zuko shook his head, his dark hair dancing over his closed eyes. "I know," he sighed. "Does that ring fit you?" Changing the subject was the best road to take in a situation like this. Everybody knew how to do it... some just couldn't do it well. He pointed to the string around her neck, not wanting to acknowledge the ring itself, which was resting on her skin underneath her dress.

Pulling the ring from her neck, she said, "I haven't tried yet. Uh, its not tradition for a girl to put on her own rings... do you want to give me a hand?"

Toph turned over in her sleepingbag; drawing the attention of both Zuko and Katara. They jumped away from each other a little, as to not raise any sort of suspicion. They couldn't be seen together, not like this. There was too much at stake for them to be seen behaving in such a manner. Silently, Katara asked herself, in what manner? Acting civilized toward each other? Behaving like friends? Not using harsh words? Why was that such a bad thing? Why couldn't they be- dare she think- friends? "Tthhatts na fflliee." Katara's hands coiled into nervous fists as Toph spoke in her sleep. Though her words were hard to recognize, it wasn't completely impossible to decipher what she had revealed; _That's a lie._

She had half expected him to glare at her angrily and start an argument that would wake everybody. He simply took the ring from her fists and looked at it carefully, his eyes studying the tiny carvings meticulously. He smiled again as he met her eyes. Katara had to admit she was beginning to like his smile; and his face- on his good side. Everything about him, really; his hair, his mouth, his lips were so... Mentally, Katara slapped herself. What had she just been thinking? There was no way that she should be thinking about _Zuko _of all people as someone that she was attracted to. She felt something wrap around her hand, realizing after a moment that it was Zuko, lifting her hand to slip the ring over her finger. Katara looked between his hand and his face. Slowly, she curled her fingers around his. A primitive need fell over her. She leaned toward him, unable to control herself. What suprised her the most was that he was leaning into her too. Her breath became ragged as she felt his hand near her face. She could feel his breath... almost taste his kiss. "Stop." The word fell from her lips lazily. She could have meant so many things by that single word. Stop making her watch while he loved someone else. Stop making her think about breaking Aang's heart. Stop making her heart race. Stop making her want him. Stop this ache, stop the hurt inside of her. Embarrassed, she slid her hand away from his. "I'm... I'm sorry. Its just that, well, I hate you and all." She let her eyes wander around the cave for a while, studying the curve of the walls and ceiling. The twine dangled from her ring finger heavily until she twisted the ring off and allowed Zuko to place it around her neck. Tiredly, she rested her head on his shoulder. "What was it like?" Her voice came soft and her eyelids were suddenly hard to keep open. "Your banishment I mean."

"It was, is, I should say, the best thing that Ozai has ever done for me." For a moment, Zuko deliberated weather or not he should return the gesture. He cautiously lifted his arm, but then put it back down. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. "I'm glad- that I was banished. Had I not been, I would still believe that the Firenation was great. Thanks to Ozai, I see how pointless this war really is. Killing people, for what? Land, power, greed? All they do is hurt people. People who don't deserve to be hurt. People like you." He could hear her breath catch in her throat. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes meeting his and holding the gaze.

It was like there were no words to speak, but a whole sea of things to say. Instead of sitting there dumbly, she cleared her throat. "You... you don't know anything about me."

"Don't I? I could say the same to you."

"What was my mother's name?" That was an easy one. If he knew anything about her at all, he should know this. To her suprize, he answered with a smile.

"Kya. What's _my _mother's name?"

"Ursa. Those were easy. What is my favorite flower?" She glanced at him through the corner of her eye. Perhaps she'd stumped him.

Zuko pondered for a while, resting his chin in his palm. "Roses," he finally guessed.

Completely taken off guard, Katara jumped when she heard him utter the word. "How'd you know that?" She was sure that she had never mentioned anything like that to him. Her eyes narrowed at him, had he been stalking her?

"I didn't," he smiled. "They're my favorite too."

"Oh," Katara said, the light morning air almost chilling her. In an attempt to stifle a shiver, she hugged her knees again. As Zuko had said before, it wasn't cold. There was something about his presence that made her shiver. Why did they have so much in common? The question kept nagging at the corners of her mind. It had been, too, since they were trapped together in Ba Sing Se. Feeling his hand pressed to her shoulder, she turned her eyes to Zuko. "I'm fine." That was always her response. She was always fine, she had to be, did she not? It was a habit of hers to always say that she was fine.

"You and I both know that's not true. If you're cold I'll light a fire. You don't have to pretend around me." His voice was gentle, almost a whisper.

"I know. I'm so used to always needing to be fine."

"Don't worry. It's going to be alright."

_It's going to be alright. It's going be alright. _No one had ever told her that it was going to be alright. She was always the one telling people that things would be okay. That they would play out right in the end. Even if there was no hope and the situation was a catch twenty-two, things would always be alright. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hang on for dear life. He was the first person to comfort her. "Zuko," she whispered, her arms snaking around him. At first, he didn't know how to react to the waterbender's sudden embrace, but slowly, Zuko relaxed and hugged her back. He liked this. He liked this _very _much. Mentally, he slapped himself. They were just beginning to be friends; and he had to go pervert it up by thinking about her as more than _just _a friend. He rested his chin on top of her head lightly, forgetting that there were three other people in the same room as them.

"Katara," he muttered. "You'll be okay. I promise." He absent mindedly stroked her hair.

"What would happen if we ran away?" Katara sat up abruptly, her eyes shining in wonder. When she was alone with him, she got this feeling. It was like she could do anything, and he wouldn't try to hold her back. The constant feeling of being on the edge and ready to jump. At her own question, she smiled.

Drawing his eyebrows together in confusion, Zuko said; "I don't understand."

"What if you and I just left? To find my necklace, I mean."

Something about Zuko's face changed. His lips formed a tight line and his eyes were hard. He looked away from her into the empty fire pit and sighed heavily. "You'd stay behind."

Katara bit her tongue, perhaps a little too hard. Her eyes squinted shut at the sudden metallic taste of her own blood. Frustration and determination grew inside of her. "I _am _going with you."

"We aren't going anywhere."

Her eyes pleaded to him. The previously light, wondering eyes were now darkened and cold. "I need this. I need to find it now, Zuko." Something happened to his heart as she spoke. It almost stopped. The way she said his name made him flinch. Her very presence made him feel on edge. He couldn't refuse her this opportunity. If they were to leave their current location, there would be almost no hope in finding the thieves.

"I think," Zuko started. "They would be heading toward water."

She did it again. Her arms wrapped around his neck warmly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Her excitement made her voice just a little louder than anticipated.

"Shhhh!" He pulled away from her, sternly taking her face in both of his hands. "We gotta get outta here."

"I knew I liked you." She smirked.

"Everyone does." Zuko replied sarcastically with a smile.

_***&*&*&*&**_

**Hey kids, long time no update... sorry about that my friends.  
**

**Tschau!**

**~She Poe**


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